London/Pune, Jan 2: Two top police officials from Manchester today visited the family of Anuj Bidve, a 23-year old student from here who was killed on December 26 in an apparent hate crime in the English city.
Manchester chief police superintendent Berry Russel Jackson and another official who arrived here this evening drove straight to Bidve family's house in Chandannagar area to discuss matters relating to the death of Anuj who was studying at Lancaster university for his MS degree in micro-electronics.
Anuj was shot dead from a point blank range by a British youth on Boxing day.
The Bidve family members will be leaving for Manchester tomorrow to claim Anuj's body.
Twenty-year-old Briton, Kiaran Stapleton, charged with the murder of Indian student Anuj Bidve in an unprovoked attack on Boxing Day, today labelled himself a "psycho" in court and was remanded to custody.
Stapleton was remanded to custody for 24 hours at the City of Manchester Magistrates Court.
There was no application for bail and the case has now been sent to the Manchester Crown Court.
Asked to confirm his name and address as per normal procedure in court, the suspect said his name was "Psycho. Psycho Stapleton".
Bidve's friends, local leaders and residents prepared to attend a candle-light vigil in his memory today evening at the spot in Salford where he was killed.
A similar vigil planned in New Delhi is scheduled to culminate outside the British High Commission.
In Salford, hundreds of people are expected to attend the candle-light vigil initially organised by friends of Bidve on Facebook.
Senior Labour MP Keith Vaz is also expected to attend the event, besides local leaders and residents appalled at the incident.
Officers from the Greater Manchester Police last night left for India to meet Bidve's family.
Bidve, 23, who was a postgraduate student of Microelectronics at Lancaster University, died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
He was described by tutors as "an outstanding applicant at the very beginning of a promising career".
The Greater Manchester Police said the reward of 50,000 pounds for information related to the case was still on offer.
